February 8th, 2021 | Josh Adelman

Soldiers to Sidelines completed its Virtual Lacrosse Coaching Certification Seminar.  The seminar was free for service members and veterans of every branch of military service.  We had coaches of all experience levels joining in on the seminar and everyone had a great time and learned something new.  

Abel Poirier, US Navy veteran had this to say about his experience: “Great program. Blown away by the quality of instruction. Highly recommended for the beginner coach right up to the seasoned college coach. Truly something for everyone. 

The Virtual Lacrosse Coaching Certification Seminar required a large commitment of time and effort.  We met each weekday from January 25th to 29th for two hours each evening. We gathered for an additional three hours on Saturday, January 30th, and required additional online coursework.  Only the most dedicated and curious completed certification.  48 of the 108 registrants decided to show up and accept the challenge.  Of those 48, only 43 were able to complete the certification. Life can happen fast, and for the five that could not complete the course this time around, Soldiers to Sidelines has plenty of opportunities this year to join the tribe again and earn certification. 

The lacrosse content was orchestrated by some of the most well-respected coaches in the field.  Scott Urick, Head Coach of Georgetown Prep and Soldiers to Sidelines Director of Lacrosse, was the main coach putting this all together.  He has decades of experience as a coach and player in lacrosse. 

This class of Soldier Coaches had the opportunity to spend time with our keynote guest Bill Tierney, Head Coach of the University of Denver’s Lacrosse team.  Coach Tierney has won seven NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championships amongst many other awards throughout his career including induction into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame. 

Eric Stelzel, US Navy veteran summed up his experiences in the seminar with this: Soldiers to Sidelines has equipped and will continue to add tools to my coaching tool box so that I can continue to serve my community and country in this new way. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from people who visibly care about me and the goals I want to accomplish.”